Woman gets seven years in white collar crime

A former employee at a credit union in eastern Nicosia has been sentenced to seven years in prison for financial crimes worth over half a million.

The 51-year-old woman, who was convicted on fraud and forgery charges in an embezzlement case, was handed down multiple 3-7 year jail sentences on Friday by a Nicosia criminal court.

According to court documents, the woman was found guilty on 257 counts of forgery, accounts falsification with fraudulent intent, circulation of forged documents, theft, and illegal gains.

Reports said the total amount that the woman had pocketed was €645,041, while her crimes took place between 2008 and 2016.

According to court documents, the crimes were first discovered in 2017 when another customer at a Kaimakli credit union, in east Nicosia, had filed a complaint after noticing debit charges on her account that she had never initiated.

The prison sentences were set to run concurrently, starting Friday, while according to Cypriot law, her sentence was reduced automatically by four days after having been in detention since February 10.